Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by delta490:

Poured 12 oz bottle into Sam Adams glass. Has a bright copper color with a big foamy white head which lasts well into the beer. Aroma is simple has nice notes of spice and caramel. The taste mirrors it with a little hop bitterness on the finish. It is moderately carbonated with a smooth mouthfeel. A great American take on a classic German style.

More User Reviews:

3.95/5 rDev +2.3%

Poured one and a half bottles into a half liter stein with a nice bright rich copper color and a large blooming head atop.German malts dominate the nose with just a hint of leafy hops.Mildly sweet bread dough at first on the palate with a decent dry dry finish,not quite as sweet as way to many of the style right now on the market in my opinion.A very good Fest beer,will go good with some of my homemade brats and sweet and sour braised bacon and onions.

Taste: Like the aroma, very malty and bready up front, which then competes with some assertive, but beautifully balanced hoppy bitterness. Finally, there’s some good caramel-like sweetness. Great taste!

Mouthfeel: Medium with some really good carbonation to tickle the taste buds. With an ABV of 5.5%, there is no presence of alcohol on the palate.

Overall: Damn great beer! One of the best American versions of an Oktoberfest that I’ve had this year in fact. I really like the great balance between the malt and the hops. This is definitely going onto my Oktoberfest beer rotation!

A - Tight bubbles form a tall pillow off white head which doesn't hesitate to almost overflow. A few gobs of lace remain on the glass after the beer plateaus to a lop-sided pile above the clear golden amber-hued beer.

S - Port City's Oktoberfest has an inviting, crisp, clean aroma with up-front toasted Vienna malts and a trace of Munich sweetness. The beer is laced with a crisp snap of hops though; faint citrus and tight herbal notes almost mask this very dull yeast nose; the smell of straight-up yeast from a smack-pack with a touch of sulfur. Thankfully it's small enough it doesn't distract from the rest of the beer.

T - Like the aroma before it, the flavor is very plain and simple but don't consider that an insult. This beer sticks closely to the German classics with malt at the forefront; toast and sweetness the main two components. Hops finish with a trickle of herbal qualities and nice dryness. The doesn't appear to continue into flavor but a pinch of that sulfur (also common to German varieties) remains.

M - Crisp feeling and clean with a medium-light body, Port City's Oktoberfest has a great hop dryness that balances the malt very well on the palate. It's very drinkable indeed.

O - Another thirst-quenching Oktoberfest, Port City's close-to-classic brew puts drinkability above all with nice malt flavor that's balanced very well by European hops. Aside from a bit of yeastiness (evident with quite a bit of haze at the bottom of the bottle) this is a great seasonal offering.

T: This is a damn smooth and delicious O-Fest. Grainy and crisp without being too cloying or sweet. The finsih is a bit toasty and quite rich.

M: Über-creamy. The texture is right on, it's big and bold without being offputting. The carbonation is right where it should be.

O: Port City's Octoberfest is hands down their best brew yet. It's exactly what I expect out of a top shelf Märzen and then some. If nothing else, this proves without a doubt that the Port City crew can lager with the best of them.

On tap at the brewery this evening. Served in a four-ounce taster glass.

Pours a nice light caramel color with a good off-white head and plenty of sticky lacing on the way down. Completely transparent with some visible carbonation.

Nose brings forward some nice herbal and floral hops. They're background, but their nobleness is is quite discernible. Great notes of bread and crust in the background as well as a touch of caramel.

Flavor is quite bready with some continental hops really serving to balance things out. Great malt and hop balance, which is quite refreshing to have in a style where it's appropriate. (Dear most East-Coast brewers: malt isn't supposed to balance hops in an AIPA. End rant.) Good chewy bread body upfront with a mild -- yet lingering -- hop bitterness toward the finish.

Light-medium body with crisp carbonation. Chewy yet fairly-thin. Smooth and incredibly well done for the style.

It's a nice golden-amber color, but quite hazy - no where near as clear as most. Slightly hoppy and malty, they got the flavor right, and it's a nice and smooth 5.5% ABV. I'd put it in the top half of those I've tried so far, but nothing really that stood out.

It's another beer that I'd happily have again, but probably not good enough that I'll remember to look for it again at the store. No sign of a bottling date anywhere.